Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatus
See this bird on the water. Private boat tours from Rijeka Crnojevića, your group only.
The great crested grebe is the lake's most elegant swimmer — long-necked, sharp-billed, with the chestnut and black head plumes that made it a fashion target in the nineteenth century and then a founding cause of the bird protection movement.
On Skadar the records run strongly from April through July, which covers the courtship season. If you are on the water in spring you have a real chance of seeing the weed dance: two birds rising breast to breast, heads shaking, each holding a beakful of waterweed.
They dive rather than fly when a boat approaches, surfacing a surprising distance away, so the trick is to stop the engine and wait rather than follow.
When to see it on Lake Skadar
Most often recorded in April, May, June and July, from 978 sightings logged on the lake. July is the single strongest month.
- Jan: 17 records
- Feb: 9 records
- Mar: 75 records
- Apr: 129 records
- May: 151 records
- Jun: 137 records
- Jul: 153 records
- Aug: 111 records
- Sep: 88 records
- Oct: 84 records
- Nov: 19 records
- Dec: 4 records
Peak months Other months
Conservation status
Least Concern
Records on the lake
978
Peak season
Apr, May, Jun and Jul
Habitat
Open water and sheltered bays
Where on the lake
Open water rather than the tight channels — the broader stretches where the river opens into the lake, and the calm bays along the Full Circuit route. Early in the day, when the surface is glassy, is easiest.
How to tell it apart
Look for the double-horned crest and rufous cheek ruff in breeding plumage.
